Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to computer input from a user and more particularly relates to tactile computer input.
Description of the Related Art
Tactile input devices employ touch and other physical manipulation by a user to communicate with a computer or other intelligent electronic system. Examples of such devices include mice, television remotes, touchpads, keyboards, gaming controllers, and so forth. Great strides forward have been made in making computer interfaces more intuitive and usable through the proliferation of such devices.
Nevertheless, current tactile input devices tend to be rigid and only comfortable for a segment of users due to their various shapes, sizes, and contours. Buttons and other contact areas may also be non-optimally placed for any given user. These designated areas limit the type of input a user can provide.
For example, a device such as a computer mouse may have buttons, a thumbwheel, or other touch areas. In addition, the mouse must be used in a specific orientation. Specifically, the tracking laser or ball must always be on the bottom, and the user's hand must make contact with the buttons or designated areas. Computer mice are also only available in a discrete number of shapes and sizes to meet various user preferences. Other tactile input devices as mentioned above have similar limitations.